Automatic water valve



Feb. 13, 1951 N. F. 'roADvlNE AUTOMATIC WATERl VALVE l Filed July l2, 1949 FIG. 1..

' INVENTOR. Noe/WAN F. Tonny/Ns,

i BY

Wma/@wm f 47- 7 O16/V5 YJ Patented Feb. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC WATER VALVE Norman F. Toadvine Salisbury, Md.

Application July 12, 1949, Serial No. 104,183

This invention relates to automatic Water valves, and morev particularly to. an. automatic water valve for regulating the quantityv of Water' in a receptacle, such as a watering trough..

Several automatic Water valves are now avail'- able for controlling the ilow of water to. receptacles, as Watering troughs: for poultry, but such valves as are now available or in use have certain defects and are subject to such malfunction-ing in operation as to. render their performance unsatisfactory; For one thing, the. present valves are subject' toleakage, usually caused byy displacement or turning of' the valve discs, and are subject tospla'shifngf and' ooding of the area adljacent'thereto.

It is thus among the objects oi the present inventi'on to provide an improved: automatic Water valive for controlling the flow of water. toa receptacle, such as a poultry Wateringl trough, which has its'movablepartsv so arranged' that the valve discs or washers cannot become displaced or disposed at an angle to the associated valve seats to cause leaking of the valve, which automatically closes if the weight of the trough is removed therefrom', whether intentionally or accidentally, to therebyv avoid nood-'ing of the area adjacent the valve, wlii-i'chi valve includes a water outlet formation and: means Within such formation effective to break up the jeti of Water underpressure from the valve seat and direct the water downwardly tothe trough at a gravityy rather than at a pressure-induced ratei of' flow, so' that the waterv will not splash out oi? the receptacle or be directed.. by the valve to any area outside of that portion of the receptacle directly below the valve, and' which valve isv eX- tremely strong; rigid andX durable int construe-- tion, simple and economical to manufacture, easy to install and use, and fully automatic andV posi".- tive inr operation.

Other objects and advantages will become ap parent from a consideration oi the following description and the appended claims-iin conjunction with the accompanying drawing; wherein:

Fig-ure- 1 is a side elevation of an automatic.l

valve illustrative of the invention, a portion be ingfbroken awayandi shown'in longitudinal, me dial cross-section to better illustrate the construction of the valve;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the valve loolt-` ing at the left-hand' side of the valve as illus tratedin'Figure l;

Figure 3- is a diagrammatic side elevationof thevalve and a fragmentary portionoi areceptacl'e suspended! therefrom'illustrating. the oper-V ationoffthevalve;

4 Claims. (Cl. L27- 68)r Figurek e is. a. transverse cross-section on the line l-i of Figure 1f;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of. a valve-operating stem constituting an operative component of; the valve illustrate d in Figure- 1 Figure 6 isa side elevation of a somewhat-modified form of movable valve element' usable in the valvev mechanism. illustrated. in Figuresl 1=,. 2v and: 3f, a. portion being broken away and shown7 inf cross-section tov better illustrate the construetion of such modified' valve element and Figure: 7 is a. side elevation of av still further modified form oi' valvezelement, a portion beingv broken away andv showir in cross-section to better illustrate theconstruction thereof.

With continuedreference to: the drawing the valve assembly comprises, in general, an clon-- gated valve body t0: having. a rigid Hy eX- tending laterallyand substantially perpendicularly therefrom. atone end 0i the body, a pipe elbow nipple lf2, a. pipe iitting t3; connecting the nipple t2 to the valve 'body ti at one end. of the latter, a movable valve element lll-in the valve body, a lever I5 pivoted intermediate its length tol the valve body |0- adjacent the endof the valve body remote iromi the arm- |..l and extendf ing at oneendintother valvebody, a stem l5; operatively disposedv between the endE 0iv the lever 'l5 within the. valve body and the adjacent endy of the:A valve. element i4, a spring If! connected ati one end to the lever I5 an adjusting screw l-` connecting the other end of the spring to the arm l l toirender the. spring effective toresiliently latch lever I9 pivotally connected. at one endy to the lever l5l and engagingy the. arm lt torreleasably holdA the lever l5: ina predeterminedv position.

The valve body It is anI elongated, preferably cylindrical body of suitable metal, such asy brass, and: has a substantially concentric bore extending: therethrough. This body is provided near the endfrom which the lever l l extendswith internal screw threads which receive the externally screwthreadedshank. 2li of the fitting I3,y this tting being: providedT in. its end opposite the shank 20 with an internally screw-threaded socket which receives the externally screw-threaded, associated endof the elbow nipple l2. Intermediate the length ofthe bore therethrough the valve body I l) is provided with an internal annular formation 2|v providing. ay restriction in the bore.

and providing, at the side thereof adjacent the screw-threaded endof the valve body anY annular valve seat 2.2'. Ati the side of the formation 2l.

adjacent the screw-threaded end of the valve body, the valve body bore provides an elongated, cylindrical valve chamber 23, and a second, annular valve seat 24 is secured in the valve body at the end of the valve chamber 23 remote from the valve seat 22. The valve seat 24 is an apertured, washer-like structure and is secured in the valve body Ill between an internal shoulder in the valve body and the inner end of the shank portion of the pipe fitting I3.

The valve element I4 comprises a metal spacer 25 of hexagonal or other non-circular, cross-sectional shape having a maximum diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the valve chamber 23, so that the spacer slides freely in the valve chamber and the faces thereof -provide `channels for the passage of water between the having a diameter less than the diameter of the aperture 28 in the bore-restricting formation 2 I, and having on one end an enlarged, flat head 29 which bears against the adjacent, lower side of the valve disc 21. The head 29 of the stem I6 has an end area suicient to eliminate wear of the disc 21 by the stem, and also to support the valve disc in proper position in the valve chamber parallel to the annular valve seat 22, so that the disc will not become turned or cocked relative to the valve seat. This effectively prevents leakage of the valve when the valve is closed by the disc 21 cooperating with the valve seat 22. This stem I6 extends through the aperture 28 and into the cylindrical water outlet formation 30 provided by the bore of the valve body at the side of the restricting formation 2| opposite the valve chamber 23 where the stem is provided with a rounded end 3|. The hollow outlet cylinder 30 has a downwardly-elongated skirt and an apertured lug 32 projects outwardly from this skirt to carry a pivot pin 33 which extends through an aperture in the lever I5 intermediate the length of the lever and pivotally connects the lever Yto the valve body. At one side of the pin 33 the lever I5 extends into the outlet cylinder 30 through a notch 34 provided in the skirt of the outlet cylinder, and a cup formation 35 is provided on the end of the lever I5 within the outlet cylinder 30 to receive the rounded, lower end 3| of the valve stem I6.

Near its end opposite the cup formation 35, the lever I5 is provided, in its upper edge, with a series of notches 36 and is provided below these notches with a series of apertures 31 respectively in alignment with the notches. i As illustrated in Figure 3, one end of a poultry watering trough, generally indicated at 38, is provided with an upwardly-extending bail 39 to which is slidably attached a hook 45. This hook is selectively engageable with any one of the notches 36 or with any one of the apertures 31 to provide a downward force on the outer end of the lever 15- When the trough 38 has a sufficient quantity of water therein, its downward pull on the outer end of lever I5 will overcome the force of ,spring I1, so that the lever I5 will pivot about the pivot pin 33 and the cup formation 35 will force the valve stem I5 and the valve element I4 upwardly until the upper disc 26 is brought into sealing engagement with the upper valve seat 24, therethrough'the valve seat 24, the valve chamber 23,v

and the aperture 2B in the restricting formation 2I into the water outlet cylinder 30 from which it drops into the trough below the valve. As the water is supplied to the nipple I2 under relatively high pressure, the restricting aperture 28 creates a jet of considerable force, which, if unobstructed, would spurt downwardly and outwardly from the valve causing a splash in the trough which would displace a considerable quantity of water from the trough and this jet would also spray some of the water outside of the area of the trough immediately below the valve. The cup formation 35, however, is disposed directly below the aperture 28 and has a diameter at least as great as the diameter of the aperture 28, so that water iiowing through this aperture will strike the cup formation 35 and be deected outwardly against the wall or skirt of the hollow cylinder 3i). On striking the wall of the outlet cylinder, the water jet gives up its pressure energy and then flows downwardly from the outlet cylinder under the influence of gravity only, into the trough creating no splash or spray.

If the trough is removed from the lever I5 for l cleaning the trough or is accidentally detached,

the spring I1 will immediately pull the outer end of the lever I5 upwardly and the valve disc 21 Will engage the valve seat 22 to cut off the iiow of water through the valve, thus avoiding any danger of flooding the area adjacent the valve by intentional or accidental removal of the weight of the receptacle from the lever I5.

The amount of water in the receptacle is controlled by the spring-tensioning screw I8 which screw extends through an aperture 4I in the arm II, and is provided above the arm with a wing nut 42 threaded thereon. By threading the screw upwardly through the wing nut the loading on the spring I1 is increased and a greater quantity of water in the receptacle 38 will be required to close the valve, whereas, if the screw be threaded downwardly through the nut, a smaller quantity of water will close the valve. Since the force exerted by the spring I1 will, in all practical installations, be greater than that necessary to lift the valve-attached end of the trough when empty, some water will have to be in the trough before the weight of the water in the trough, will operate the valve. After the trough has been cleaned and re-attached to the lever I5, it will be empty, and it is then necessary to supply some water to the trough in order for the automatic operation of the valve to resume. This is accomplished by the latch lever I9. This lever, as explained above, is pivotally connected at its lower end to the lever I5 intermediate the length of the latter. The latch lever has adjacent its upper end, two oppositely-disposed shoulders 43 and 44, and has an extension 45 of reduced width extending from the shoulders through a slot I6 in the arm II near the outer end of the arm. The shoulder 43 is so positioned lengthwise of the latch lever I9 that when this shoulder is engaged with the under side of the arm II at the inner end of the slot 46, the valve will be held open and water will be supplied to the trough. As

aanwas 54.1 soon asfenoughwater hasbeen supplied .to the trough to overcome the forceoi'springV IT, and pull. the outer end oflever |51 downwardly to close the'va'lve, the lever' I9 willfalloutwardly,

ldis'engaging. thev shoulder. 43` from the arm Il.

The shoulder 44 is so. positioned-longitudinally ofr the latch lever that the valve-mayoperate automatically without interference by the latch lever. This latch lever thus rendersitlunnecessary for the attendant to Waitory to :holdthe valve open until a sufficient quantity of water has been placed in the trough to operate the valve'.` The function of the shoulder 44 is merely'toalimitupward movement oftheouter end' of lever .l when the trough isY removed, so that the cup-formation will not be disengaged from thelower endof the valve stem It.

The modified valve element illustrated in Figure 6, and generally indicated at 4l, comprises an elongated metal body of hexagonalor other non-circular, cross-sectional shape, and pins 4i! and 49 extending outwardly from respectivelyopposite ends of theY bodyv 4l concentricallyv with the body. The upper'pin-48 willl extend through the upper valve seat 24 and, if desired, may slidably contact fingers projecting radially into the aperture of the upper valve seat to guide the valve element in its movements in thevalve chamber 23. The lower pin 4S extends downwardly through the aperture 28 in the formation 2l and i# constitutes the valve-operating stem equivalent to the sternl I6, illustrated in Figures l and 5. Conically-shaped valve washers 5i) and 5I surround the stems 48 and 49, respectively, at the respectively-opposite ends of the body 4i to engage the upper and lower valve seats under the same conditions in which these seats are alternatively engaged by the valve discs 26 and 27. The pins 4S and 49 are preferably reduced adjacent the respective ends of the body 4l, and within the washers 5B and 5|, as indicated at 52 and 53, to provide shoulders for holding the washers securely in place against the corresponding ends of the body 41, the washers being sufficiently flexible to be forced over the pins and to contract about the reduced portions of the pins.

In the somewhat further modified form of valve element illustrated in Figure 7, -the ,construction is exactly the same as that illustrated in Figure 6, except that the upper pin 43 is omitted and a screw 5d is extended through the aperture in the upper valve washer 50 and threaded into an internally screw-threaded well provided in the body di at the upper end of the body. As explained above, the valve element illustrated in Figure 6, or that illustrated in Figure 7 may be substituted for the valve element i4 without materially directing the operation of the automatic valve, the form of valve elements shown in Figures 6 and 'l being of greatly simplified construction and extremely economical to manufacture and being somewhat more rigid and more positive in action.

invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

W'hat` isY claimed. is.:

1'. In an automatic valve for controlling the flow of liquidl to a receptacle suspended from the valve,I an elongated valve body having a bore therethrough, means in said body constituting a restriction in said bere intermediate the length thereof and providing anannulary valve'seat` in said bore, said bore constituting at one side of said means a valve chamber and at the opposite side of said means a liquid outlet cylinder, a valve seat in said bore atV the end of f said valve chamber opposite the bore-restricting means, a valve element movable in said valve chamber be'- tw-een said valve seats, a stem extending from said valve element thro-ugh the restriction in said bore and into said outlet cylinder, and a valveoperating lever pivotally mounted intermediate its length on said valve body andhaving one end disposedV within said outlet cylinder and provided with a cup formation receiving the adjacent end of said stem', said cup formation having a diameter at least as great as the diameter of the restriction in said bore so that liquid under pressure moving as aV jet through said restricting means past said stein will strike said cup formation" and bev deiiected'outwardly against the wall of said outlet cylinder to give up its pressure energy and iow from said cylinder by gravity alone.y

2. In an automatic valve for controlling the flow of'iiduid to a receptacle suspended from the valve, an elongated valve body having. a bore therethrough, means in said body constituting. a restriction in said bore intermediate the length thereof and providing an annular valve seat in said bore, said bore constituting at one side of said means a valve chamber and at the opposite side of said means a liquid outlet cylinder, a valve seat in said bore at the end of said valve chamber opposite the bore-restricting means, a valve element movable in said valve Ichamber between said valve seats, a stern extending from said valve element through the restriction in said bore and into said outlet cylinder, and a valveoperating lever pivotally mounted intermediate its length on said valve body and having one end disposed within said outlet cylinder and provided with a cup formation receiving the adjacent end of said stem, said cup formation having a. diameter at least as great as the diameter of the restriction in said bore so that liquid under pressure moving as a jet through said restricting means past said stem will strike said cup formation and be deflected outwardly against the Wall of said outlet cylinder to give up its pressure energy and ilo-w from said cylinder by gravity alone, the weight of a receptacle suspended from valve-operating lever being eifective to move said valve element in closing contact with one of said valve seats, and resilient means connected between said valve body and said valve-operating lever to move said lever in a direction to eiect contact of said valve element with the other of said valve seats to close said valve when the weight of a receptacle is removed from said lever.

3. In an automatic water valve, an elongated valve body having a bore therethrough, a substantially rigid arm projecting upwardly from said body at one end thereof and substantially perpendicular thereto, means for connecting a pipe nipple to the bore of said body at said one end of the body, a hollow water outlet cylinder disposed at the opposite end of said body and having an elongated, cylindrical skirt, a rst annular valve seat in the bore of said body at the inner end of said outlet cylinder, said valve seat having a restricted aperture therethrough, a second annular valve seat in said body spaced from said first valve seat at the side of the latter opposite said outlet cylinder, the portion of said bore between said valve seats constituting a valve chamber, a valve element movable in said valve chamber and having at its opposite ends valve discs of resilient material engageable respectively and alternatively with said valve seats to close said valve at the limits of movements of said valve element in said valve chamber in both directions, a receptacle-suspending lever pivotally connected intermediate its length to said valve body and projecting at one end into said outlet cylinder, a cup formation on the end of said lever within said outlet cylinder, a valve stem extending from said cup formation through said rst valve seat to said valve element, and manually-adjustable, resilient means inter-connected between said lever and said arm.

4. In an automatic water valve, an elongated valve body having a bore therethrough, a substantially rigid arm projecting upwardly from said body at one end thereof and substantially perpendicular thereto, means for connecting a pipe nipple to the bore of said body at said one end of the body, a hollow water outlet cylinder disposed at the opposite end of said body and having an elongated, cylindrical skirt, a rst annular Valve seat in the bore of said body at the inner end of said outlet cylinder, said valve seat having a restricted aperture therethrough, a second annular valve seat in said body spaced from said rst valve seat at the side of the latter opposite said outlet cylinder, the portion of said bore between said valve seats constituting a valve chamber, a valve element movable in said valve chamber and having at its opposite ends Valve discs of resilient material engageable respectively and alternatively with said valve seats to close said valve at the limits of movements of said valve element in said valve chamber in both directions, a receptacle-suspending lever pivotally connected intermediate its length t0 said valve body and projecting at one end into said outlet cylinder, a cup formation on the end of said lever Within said outlet cylinder, a valve stem extending from said cup formation through said first valve seat to said valve element, and manually-adjustable. resilient means interconnected between said lever and said arm, said valve stem comprising an elongated pin having on one end an enlarged, ilat head bearing against the valve disc at the i adjacent end of said valve element.

NORMAN F. TOADVINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are'of record in the rlle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,303,235 Seldon Nov. 24, 1942 2,512,839 Pruitt June 27, 1950 

